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I have started to ask myself three important questions — how much of my time today helped me develop spiritually? How much helped promote my creativity and how much time did I spend on reaching out to help others develop? The short answer amounts to about 25% or less of each day.

It's not a mistake that I've found myself dwelling somewhere in the middle part of my life — but it's only the middle if I actually live to be 108 years old. A more accurate guess means that I've passed the middle mark several years back.

If I'm going to double or triple that percentage when would be a good time to start? Which now leads me to the largest question of all — what exactly am I waiting for?

I've always been investing in the spiritual, the creative and into others. But now there's an urgency I'm feeling in my soul more than I've felt it ever before — like I'm awakening from a long mind numbing kind of sleep.

I'm marking it down by acknowledging that I must act now without delay. Without any regrets.

"Why is often an escape hatch for people who know what they should do, but fear doing it. The best answer for the stalling why is: Go. The opposite of why is now." - Seth Godin

Dropping 70 pounds this past year has dramatically changed my life in ways I could never imagine.

Several years ago someone told me; “you don’t know what you don’t know”. That statement could not be more true in my battle with being grossly overweight. The first thing I wish I had understood about dropping weight long before now was the fact that there is no getting around the hard work. Short term hard work simply won’t get it done — it takes a long, committed work ethic to see real success. Suddenly takes far longer than you think.

I constantly looked for ways to avoid the hard work with starvation, not pushing myself to exercise and rationalizing poor eating.

Without discipline, hard work and forcing my body to shut up and buy into the systematic torture of change — I remained chronically fat. Almost everybody hates reality and the incredibly stark truth that self-indulgence gets revealed in the mirror, in clogged arteries and back pain from carrying around a huge sack of blubber belted to my body.

I tried hiding the extra me under black clothing, big coats, stylish sport coats and dressy sweatpants. If I couldn’t be beautiful I tried being invisible — blending into the fashionably fat masses of hot dog swallowing suburbanites. While on the inside I was in a constant state of panic hoping that 280 pounds marked the end of my willful self-destruction. Maybe that was the magic number of my rock bottom. Maybe wearing XXL shirts was the dead end that would trigger a sudden turn around towards self-improvement.

Choosing to make everything worse seemed like the only way I could finally reconcile myself to the idea of getting better. I was playing out the hopeless feeling I continually held inside. It’s difficult to tell now when looking back — but what I do know is that I was willing to put my life at risk to remain a weapon of mass consumption. I was eating myself alive and slowly moving my way towards annihilation. I was hell bent on destroying the one person I could not stand the most in life. Myself.

“When we don't know who to hate, we hate ourselves.” — Chuck Palahniuk

In retrospect it felt like I was helpless to prevent the chaos of self-destruction watching myself eat myself into oblivion. If you don’t grab the wheel who is going to stop you? We live in a culture that celebrates and cheers on excess. I had to take control of the culture living inside myself, not the one outside of me. I could not control the culture outside myself — so I aimed all my might towards the one I could control.

The art of elimination is a deliberate choice. To succeed you must be intentional about how you consume in every part of daily life — not just at the dinner table.

Before I got my eating habits under control I began to take a hard look at how I was consuming in my own relationships by trying to get my needs met and desires fulfilled no matter what. I realized that starting was the most difficult part of my entire journey. My life depended on taking that first step of committing to change.

Creativity is just a fancy 10 letter word that means producing something—it's simply the deliberate act of doing. To create something one must be willing to DO something.

The art of creating works that will inspire or leave a lasting impression is to keep doing it over and over again. That's why they call it work. Do what inspires you—the stuff that stirs the passion in your soul. More than likely it will have the same effect on someone else.

Getting started may just mean that you'll have to pretend to create good work until eventually you do. That's the perfect place to start. Emulate the work you love and create without boundaries. You can do anything, be anyone and say anything because you're safely covered in the magical cloak of obscurity.

Austin Kleon best expresses the idea of creatively winging it in his book "Steal Like An Artist" which I highly suggest you read. In fact, buy two copies and give one away to inspire a friend.

"Ask anybody doing truly creative work, and they'll tell you the truth: They don't know where the good stuff comes from. They just show up to do their thing. Every day." - Austin Kleon

So what is "the good stuff"? It's the work that inspires by causing someone to laugh out loud, to rethink their path or method, or create that feeling of childlike wonder. The good stuff can be described in any number of ways and through any number of mediums which includes the art of cooking.

Have you ever had a meal that has blown the taste buds right out of your head? I have. Especially in the south of Spain. It takes doing over and over. No matter what the medium, the end result is still the same. If it's something worth remarking about—that's what makes it remarkable work.

When I started creating my Zombie Wagon cartoons using index cards and crayons, I had no idea what I was doing. I was just laid off from my job as a Creative Director that I held for 10 years, so I did what anyone in my position would do— I started cartooning like my life depended on it.

I was wrestling with some pent-up emotions that I felt could best be expressed through characters that were not me. It was safe, I had a voice through my charcters—especially through the Zombies I created. They could speak for me.

Before I knew it I had drawn over 150 cartoon panels and I was framing the work for my first show inside a coffee shop where most of the art was originally created. The local newspaper even did a story about my work and I sold over a dozen pieces from what began as just a hobby— a fluke at best.

The idea of faking it until you make it definitely has merit. I'm still in the process of pretending that I'm a cartoonist. Nobody has dared to fight me on this one, especially since I'm still enjoying the benefits of obscurity. So I am exactly what I say I am.

"An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail." - Edwin Land

I'm encouraging you to go for it at full speed ahead—whatever it is that you have in your heart to create. Creativity is both a deliberate and senseless act converging together at exactly the same time.

The next New York Times best seller is trapped inside your head and I won't even try to imagine what you might be holding in your hands. But I can imagine that you're well aware of the fact that it's time for you to finally get going.

What's holding you back? Stop defending, start bending and get to the pretending. I'm betting that you'll eventually flop over into producing some truly remarkable work. We're all counting on it.

Life, work, love, relationships—all of them are wonderful, but they can often be difficult and painful too when the gaps appear. It's those times when things seem to be standing completely still that can be hardest to overcome. Mind the gaps.

Pay attention to those empty spaces that open up like gaping holes in a career path, in meaningful relationships or simply in our states of being. A void that feels hauntingly real and seems to demand some kind of immediate action.

They can appear like blinding sunlight light bursting through a row of tall tress.

I'm learning that being deliberate in pushing through those gaps is an essential part of maturing and nurturing long term growth—by allowing my life to
take
root right where I am planted.

I have become most discontent when feeling that overwhelming need to try and fill those gaps—to try and fill the great divide between the certain and uncertain. Something shiny and new used to replace the old, those hours of mundane and the same old sameness of daily living.

While new things quickly draw our attention away, some day they too will become old. It's those old things which have withstood the test of time that are valued most in our culture. Like old coins, cars, cameras, vinyl records and Matchbox toys. The better the condition they're kept in, the more value they possess.

To accomplish this it takes deliberate care and nurturing as they make the journey through the long years into maturity right past the gap from new into obsolete then onto vintage. I would insist we do the same with those we cherish. Before you trash it all, first be mindful of the gaps.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves.” - Viktor E. Frankl

I've found as an artist that it can be expensive to play it safe and
remain quietly neutral—by contrast it's a huge risk to go first
and take the creative lead into uncharted territory.

The other option of
course—is to become the spoil and take on the role of the negative voice
aimed at shooting down new ideas by helping to uncover all of the risks. I can't tell you how many times I've encountered that individual at companies I've worked at both large and small.

You know, the "let's play it safe" person who gets everyone to pause, doubt and fear change. While that role has some short term rewards, it can eventually turn back and
bite you like a sidewinder slithering in the dark.

If I'm being truly honest, I
would love to have everything I create as an artist be embraced because
it's so easy to mistake that embrace as personal acceptance. That
temporary comfort that's the opposite of feeling rejected.

The trap
is that no matter how much of my work sells, how much of it is accepted
or rejected, I'm still an artist—I'm not my art.

"When
the project is embraced, it feels as though you're being embraced—and
so rejection must mean precisely the flip side, that they hate you,
because they hate your work. But that's artistic suicide."

"It's
not useful to put yourself on the line, life or death do or die. You are
an artist, NOT the art. The only way to be vulnerable and go to the
edge, is to realize that if your art doesn't work — you'll be back
tomorrow with more and better art." Seth Godin

The simple truth is that anything
worth doing is going to make you feel fear. If you have passion for
something, I encourage you to step out into it, boldly and even blindly if necessary. Try it.

It isn't about how safe can you go—but rather how far can you go in pushing your own creative limits. Doing the unthinkable.

If you suddenly get this uncontrollable feeling that you might be doing something crazy—you probably are. What's wrong with that? Nothing at all—because you are an artist, you are not your art.

As Mr. Godin would remind us about the creative process— it's better to be sorry than safe. I learned to apply the opposite of that. How about you? Unlearning it is the hard part.

When I took off to Spain this summer with my wife Terri to serve the Edge Project for an entire month — I left with unending hope hidden in my heart.

I hoped to learn from the students I came to serve and it was my deepest desire that something I brought to the table from my life experience would not fail to inspire.

Although I cannot quantify the latter, I did learn something incredibly valuable from the group of students there, many who came to theEdge Project from all over the United States. I learned that living in community together takes patience, it takes time to develop along with the ability to listen and invest with an open heart.

I realized that I must be willing to quiet the noise of my own judgements and opinions in order to hear the passion and heartbeat of another. It takes risk, something that's easier said than done.

Since coming back home to Seattle in August, with my fond memories of Spain now far off in the horizon, I am realizing that my desire to inspire was unwittingly left behind in baggage claim. I did not understand that until this very moment, as I woke this morning at 5:55 am with a new clarity of purpose.

While I'm not certain exactly how I lost sight of my true north – I now see that my passion to inspire, encourage and cheer on others to conquer giants along with their fears is the very blood that keeps my heart beating.

When did I forget how to love dangerously? How did I lose sight of my mission and begin to bow to the fear of failure — the pain of rejection?

When the voice of self doubt began to capture my thoughts and the noise of fear began to raise its volume in my head, I froze — I was stuck in a house of mirrors.

Author Seth Godin spoke about the best way to get unstuck in this way:

"Don't wait for the right answer and the golden path to present themselves."

"This is precisely why you're stuck. Starting without seeing the end is difficult, so we often wait until we see the end, scanning relentlessly for the right way, the best way and the perfect way."

"The way to get unstuck is to start down the wrong path, right now. Step by step, page by page, interaction by interaction. As you start moving, you can't help but improve, can't help but incrementally find yourself getting back toward your north star." Godin says.

Getting unstuck now seems so simple, because I'm free to do it all wrong – free to awkwardly stumble on my way back to finding true north. I'm willing to not see the ideal end in sight.

More than anything, I want each day to matter again – to not take my life for granted as I sink down into my big leather chair feeling numb and perfectly useless.

Sometimes we are the last ones to know that we've lost our way – the last ones to know how desperately we've needed a lifeboat.

In the end – you win some and you learn some. I’ve found the love that's been lost.

In 1999 when I first moved to Seattle, I started experimenting with creating computer art. I called myself a modern digital painter back then. The job I came to Seattle for was bogging me down with administrative duties I never planned on.

After I arrived home at night, I would start creating computer art. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. I was armed with an iMac, a printer and all the creative passion of Picasso. The first character I completed was an abstract named William, he reminded me of Shakespeare for some reason. Then came Andre, a pudgy Spanish looking gentleman wearing a fabulous hat.

My wife Terri was convinced my work needed to be shown in public, so she went out and got me placed in a coffee shop for about six weeks. I hung ten pieces there. In just a few months I was selling in a small gallery and retail shop in downtown Seattle, then another shop out in the burbs where I live.

My artwork sold more often than I could keep up with. After all, I was the only guy doing computer art that looked like it was hand drawn. Even though it was really created with random clicks from my mouse. That was my style. I sold dozens of framed pieces at that time.

I wanted to call my friend Scott this morning and tell him what an amazing time I had last night with his family at dinner. I met Scott, his wife Liz, and two daughters Emily and Hilary when they lived across the street as our neighbors for way too short a time. They've since moved a few blocks away which means our visits can't be random sidewalk talks anymore, they have to be scheduled.

If you placed Scott in a line-up with a bunch of other guys and asked me to pick out a new friend, it would be difficult for me to identify him as one of great ones. I've always been totally blind that way. But being neighbors for several years made my pick much easier. In fact, our friendship seemed inevitable, because we're both loud and love to talk. Did I mention that we also laugh really loud too?

I came across this photo on Post Secret today and it immediately captured my heart. It left a small dent in my soul when I realized how true it is. I shoot photos often, but rarely do I point the lens at my own life, at the things that are meaningful to me.

I shoot mostly striking sunsets, lake reflections or light bursting through a wall of trees. I'm really glad now that I took so many pictures of my family this summer while on vacation in California and with my wife Terri on our trip to Spain. Life does change way too fast and it's easy to forget what truly matters.

The idea in this photo is beautiful—it's simple and for me it affirms the power of our lives when we rub up against each other. Sometimes for only a passing moment, but the impact can linger for a lifetime.

Thank you for this gift anonymous person living on planet earth. You made my day. You matter.

I love to write. For me it's become a wild eyed passion these days. But as much as I appreciate having my work read and commented on, that's not the reason I write. Sometimes I pour over my keyboard just to air out the thoughts bouncing around in my head. Other times it's because I experience something or read something that inspires me. By writing it down I've now cleared the way for another few thousand thoughts to take over the empty spaces of my pea-size brain.

The best way to lose autonomy over your work is to gain an appetite for approval. Once you find your voice, the style and patterns that make up who you are as a creative, why would you compromise that by looking for approval? It's a creativity killer and the quickest path to extinction. Let's be honest, we all want a loyal following to some degree or another. Most often it grows when we're not giving it any power over our work. But then once we realize we have people's attention, the temptation is to start trying to please them by writing stuff that will have mass appeal.

Every artist, every creative being at one time or another has to stare down the enormous giant of self-doubt. If you expect to produce a body of work worth the journey, in any discipline of the creative arts, you must learn to survive that overwhelming desire to self-destruct.

Wrestling with that critical voice inside that convinces you that it's better off to just quit, is almost a right of passage for artists. It's much like a dark menacing forest that seems to stretch on for miles, if you can find your way through to the other side, everything will appear much brighter and clearer in the full light of day. The lure of self-destruction is a trap that must be overcome with care. Negotiation is futile.

In those moments of self-doubt when you feel like your work is entirely insignificant, it actually feels like an accomplishment to simply trash it all. That too is a deceptive trap. I just battled the exact feelings again myself recently, even though I thought I was somehow immune to the voice of that old familiar friend.

Instant mashed potatoes taste great if you don't know any better, but for those of us who do, there's nothing that could ever replace homemade mashed potatoes. In a similar way our modern methods of communication are incredible, but they're called instant for a reason. Mostly because they contain less of the good stuff, leaving us hungry for something more meaningful.

Instant communication was created to serve us in a culture that's moving at blazing speeds. No time, so communicate more and say less. Replace the sound of our voice with a text or email. After awhile it feels so empty.

I encourage you to take a moment of pause today, reach out and really connect with someone, in a deep and meaningful way. That doesn't mean you have to invest hours of time. Say something that really matters, if it moves you, others will be moved too. You'll find yourself full for days.

Don't allow instant communication to create an instant version of yourself. There's nothing that can replace the real you.

Like an unexpected car accident, there are some life altering events
that don't allow for a do-over. Our personal relationships are bit
different, though sometimes they may feel like a total car wreck, a
do-over can be the best place to begin when attempting to unravel an
offense. The kind of offense I like to call a flesh wound.

A do-over is a simple way of partnering with the one's we love to
administer amazing grace into a thoughtless moment of mangled insensitivity. A
do-over serves as a non-confrontational way to admit that we've seen our
error and the horrible chain of events it brings.